The main "fat burner" in hydroxycut and similar supplements is just basically caffeine. You can get the same result A LOT cheaper from coffee, green tea, etc. I'm not saying this is you at all, but I feel like these "fat burning supplements" are just marketed to people who don't want to exercise or eat right and just want to take a magic pill. When they show you the "before" and "after" photos, they don't tell you all the OTHER things those people did to lose the body fat(exercise, diet, steroids, etc.).

BOLD TEXT GOES HERE A lot of these companies that market these products hire thin people take their thin pictures and then have them gain weight to shoot the before pictures. The only way to lose fat is to eat healthy and get regular exercise.

There are a lot of different fat burners out there and many of them do contain products much more potent then caffeine. However, there are critical things to understand before you go off and start taking something. Some of these OTC fat burners should really be prescription drugs, as they contain powerful ingredients that can cause serious interactions with prescription drugs and other supplements. They can also be very dangerous for people with prior heart issues.

DO NOT AUTOMATICALLY expect your doctor will know about a particular interaction. There are substances in fat burners that can inhibit the enzymes that break down other drugs which can result in very high and even fatal levels of the drug in your system.

Assuming you are healthy, fit, have no prior history of heart conditions or artery disease, and that you have had a physical lately and a clean bill of health, and assuming your diet is at least 90% compliant or above and your workout/training program is effective then you consider getting a little added help from a fat burner.

The two that I am aware of that have been effective for a lot of people are

Lean System 7 by IsatoriLipo 6 (Lipo 6x) by Nutrex

Both have been voted as fat loss product of the year.

BE VERY CAREFUL WITH OTHERS AS A RECENT FDA ANNOUNCEMENT WARNED MANY OF THEM ARE CONTAMINATED WITH CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES.

Even well known brands like Slim Fast were found to be containing an unlisted prescription only controlled substance, placing consumers at very high risk of adverse events. http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2008/NEW01933.html

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expanding its nationwide alert to consumers about tainted weight loss pills that contain undeclared, active pharmaceutical ingredients. On December 22, 2008, FDA warned consumers not to purchase or consume 28 different products marketed for weight loss. Since that time, FDA analysis has identified 41 more tainted weight loss products that may put consumers’ health at risk.

The tainted weight loss products are:

Fatloss Slimming

2 Day Diet

3x Slimming Power

Japan Lingzhi 24 Hours Diet

5x Imelda Perfect Slimming

3 Day Diet

7 Day Herbal Slim

8 Factor Diet

7 Diet Day/Night Formula

999 Fitness Essence

Extrim Plus

GMP

Imelda Perfect Slim

Lida DaiDaihua

Miaozi Slim Capsules

Perfect Slim

Perfect Slim 5x

Phyto Shape

ProSlim Plus

Royal Slimming Formula

Slim 3 in 1

Slim Express 360

Slimtech

Somotrim

Superslim

TripleSlim

Zhen de Shou

Venom Hyperdrive 3.0

Starcaps

Slim Waistline

Slim Waist Formula

Slim Up

Sliminate

Slim Fast

2x Powerful Slimming

Slim Express 4 in 1

Reduce Weihgt

Super Fat Burner

Super Slimming

Sana Plus

Trim 2 Plus

Powerful Slim

Waist Strength Formula

Slimming Formula

Perfect Slim Up

Slim Burn

Slim 3 in 1 Slim Formula

Slim 3 in 1 M18 Royal Diet

Slim 3 in 1 Extra Slim Waist Formula

Slim 3 in 1 Extra Slim Formula

Natural Model

2 Day Diet Slim Advance

Miaozi MeiMiaoQianZiJiaoNang

Meizitang

Meili

JM Fat Reducer

Imelda Fat Reducer

7 Days Diet

Extrim Plus 24 Hour Reburn

Fasting Diet

Cosmo Slim

Body Slimming

Body Shaping

Body Creator

BioEmagrecin

3 Days Fit

21 Double Slim

Eight Factor Diet

7 Diet

An FDA analysis found that the undeclared active pharmaceutical ingredients in some of these products include sibutramine (a controlled substance), rimonabant (a drug not approved for marketing in the United States), phenytoin (an anti-seizure medication), phenolphthalein (a solution used in chemical experiments and a suspected cancer causing agent) and bumetanide (a diuretic). Some of the amounts of active pharmaceutical ingredients far exceeded the FDA-recommended levels, putting consumers' health at risk.

These weight loss products, some of which are marketed as “dietary supplements,” are promoted and sold on various Web sites and in some retail stores. Some of the products claim to be “natural” or to contain only “herbal” ingredients, but actually contain potentially harmful ingredients not listed on the product labels or in promotional advertisements. These products have not been approved by the FDA, are illegal and may be potentially harmful to unsuspecting consumers.

The FDA advises consumers who have used any of these products to stop taking them and consult their healthcare professional immediately. The FDA encourages consumers to seek guidance from a healthcare professional before purchasing weight loss products.

“These tainted weight loss products pose a great risk to public health because they contain undeclared ingredients and, in some cases, contain prescription drugs in amounts that greatly exceed their maximum recommended dosages,” said Janet Woodcock, M.D., director, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, FDA. “Consumers have no way of knowing that these products contain powerful drugs that could cause serious health consequences. Therefore FDA is taking this action to protect the health of the American public.”

The FDA has inspected a number of companies associated with the sale of these illegal products, and is currently seeking product recalls. Based on the FDA’s inspections and the companies’ inadequate responses to recall requests, the FDA may take additional enforcement steps, such as issuing warning letters or initiating seizures, injunctions, or criminal charges.

The health risks posed by these products can be serious; for example, sibutramine, which was found in many of the products, can cause high blood pressure, seizures, tachycardia (rapid heart beat), palpitations, heart attack or stroke. This drug can also interact with other medications that patients may be taking and increase their risk of adverse drug events. The safety of sibutramine has also not been established in pregnant and lactating women, or in children younger than 16 years of age.

Rimonabant, another ingredient found in these products, was evaluated, but not approved by the FDA for marketing in the United States. The drug, which is approved in Europe, has been associated with increased risk of depression and suicidal thoughts and has been linked to five deaths and 720 adverse reactions in Europe over the last two years.

I am curious how it went. I just purchased a bottle of Forslean (125 mg standardized to 20% forskolin = 25 mg per pill) and am giving it a go. I understand there is only 1 peer-reviewed clinical study on it so far, so I am not sure if it is wasted $$$...